Simple Homemade Tomato Soup

Serves 10-12 people

Prep/cook time: 10 minutes / 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 3 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

• 2 Tbsp grass-fed butter

• 2 Cups organic yellow onion, diced

• 5 Organic garlic cloves, minced

• 3 Tbsp organic tomato paste

• 3 Cans organic whole tomatoes with juice (I like San Mariano)

• 1 Tbsp dried organic oregano

• Fresh basil leaves, chopped

• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Heat olive oil and butter in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onions, salt onions, cover and cook for 10 minutes. Add garlic, oregano, and tomato paste, saute for 2 additional minutes. Add canned tomatoes and the juice, breaking up the tomatoes with a wooden spoon. Bring to a low boil then reduce to a simmer for 20 minutes. Using an immersion blender, blend the soup soup directly in the pot (or blend in batches using a standard blender). Season with salt and pepper and serve with a garnish of chopped basil. It goes wonderfully with some crusty bread, croutons or grilled cheese sandwiches. It also freezes very nicely.

Extra Mile Smoothie

This smoothie is inspired by the Extra Mile Smoothie at Kure in Portland, OR.  It is my favorite in town and I had to learn to make it myself, adapting it for the Healthy Balance smoothie formula. It's loaded with healthy fats, fiber and creamy goodness.  If you like coconut, you will be a fan of this one....

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces coconut water 

• 1 tbsp coconut manna (coconut butter) or coconut meat

• 1 tbsp plain coconut yogurt (I love the Coyo brand)

• 1 serving protein powder (I prefer collagen peptides)

• 1 tbsp almond butter

• 1 tbsp hemp seeds

• 1 cup of kale, baby kale or baby spinach

Directions:

Blend all ingredients with one cup of ice. Garnish with coconut flakes, cinnamon or cacao nibs if you are feeling fancy!

Salted Tahini Freezer Fudge

• Ingredients

• 1 Cup tahini

• 4 Tablespoons cacao powder

• 2 Scoops collagen peptides (optional)

• 4 Tablespoons coconut oil, melted

• 2-3 Tablespoons pure maple syrup

• 1 Teaspoon vanilla extract

• Coarse sea salt (or Redmond Real Salt) to taste

Directions

1. Add all of the ingredients, except for the salt, into a bowl and mix well. I like to use a bowl with a spout or a large measuring cup so I can easily pour it into the molds.

2. Pour the batter into small silicon molds or a parchment-lined 8x5 bread loaf pan, sprinkle with salt.

3. Place pan or mold in the freezer for an hour or until solid.

4. Remove the fudge and break fudge out of molds or cut into squares if needed.

5. Store in freezer until ready to serve. Enjoy!

Round up: BEST Healthy Instant Pot Recipes

When I first heard about the Instant Pot, I wondered if I really needed yet another kitchen gadget that I would have to find some room for in my cupboard to store and would be forgotten after using it just a couple of times.  When Amazon had a crazy sale for Black Friday a few years back, I decided to go for it. What I didn’t realize is how much it would change the way that I prepare many of my staples, and how much easier and more efficient it would be for me to get healthy food prepped and on the table for my family to enjoy.

Now, it isn’t the perfect product.  It is big and clunky and you do need some space to store it.  It can be dangerous if you don’t follow the directions properly and if you are the kind of person that likes to constantly “check” on what you are making, it may not be the gadget for you.  That being said, it can save you a lot of time and energy in the kitchen.

Below I have curated some of my favorite recipes and some of the favorites of members of my online community. I’ll continue to add to this list so check back often!

Staples

Hard boiled eggs

Bone broth

Spaghetti squash I like to cook mine for 10 minutes instead of 7

Beets

Beans You can sub black beans for the pinto and change up the fresh spices.  I like to add bay leaves to mine. I also will often replace the water with broth if I have that on hand

Hummus

Yogurt

Coconut Yogurt

Whole chicken

Mains

Barbacoa

Beef Bourguignon

Butter Chicken

Carnitas

Kalua Pork

Korean Short Ribs

Lemon Garlic Chicken

Orange-Sesame Chicken

Quinoa Burrito Bowls

Salsa Chicken

Soups + Stews

Beef Pho

Chicken Pho

Vegetarian Pho

Beef Stew I never liked beef stew until I made this recipe!

Chicken Enchilada

Chicken Noodle

Spinach + Lentil

Tomato 

Tom Kha Gai

Turkey Chili

Loaded Mexican Chicken

Sides

Crispy Potatoes

Apple Pie Apple Sauce

Superfood Trail Mix

Serves 4-8

Prep time: 5 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup raw pecans, pistachios, walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts or a blend
• 1/2 cup raw pumpkin seeds/pepitas
• 1/2 cup dried coconut, large flakes
• 1/2 cup dried mulberries (I use Nativa Organics brand), goji berries or cherries work too
• 1/3 cup dark chocolate chips, more if you like chocolate!

Directions:

1. Mix together and store in a cool dark place.  Enjoy by the handful, or two or three!

Peppermint Chocolate Chip Cookies

Makes 12 cookies

Prep time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

• ¼ cup grass-fed butter

• ¼ cup coconut sugar

• 2 tablespoons maple syrup

• 1 large egg

• 2 teaspoons vanilla

• 1½ cups blanched almond flour

• 2 tablespoons coconut flour

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• ½ teaspoon sea salt

• ¼ cup cacao nibs

• ¼ cup chocolate chips + 1 heaping tablespoon

• 5 – 6 drops food grade peppermint essential oil

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. In a food processor, mix the butter, coconut sugar, maple syrup, egg, and vanilla until smooth (30 seconds or so)

3. Add the almond flour, coconut flour, baking soda, peppermint essential oil and sea salt and mix again until combined. Feel free to scrape down the sides of the bowl if needed to mix everything together.

4. Move batter to a medium sized bowl and add the chocolate chips and cacao nibs, stirring until combined

5. Using a tablespoon, scoop out dough and form 1 ½ inch (approximately) diameter balls on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Flatten them slightly with your fingertips or the back of a spoon.

6. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until slightly golden around the edges.

Gut-Friendly Berry Gummies

Author: Stephanie Selinger

Prep time: 15 minutes

Yield: 6-8 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 heaping cup of your choice of blueberries or raspberries or a blend of the two

• 4 lemons (or 2/3 cup lemon juice)

• 1/4 cup of unflavored, grass fed gelatin

• 1-3 tablespoons raw honey or maple syrup (depends on if you want tart or slightly sweet gummies; can be omitted entirely)

Directions:

1. Place berries into small saucepan and heat over medium until berries pump up and liquid is bubbling (around 8 minutes).

2. Let the mixture cool slightly and move to blender. Add the juice of all four lemons and honey or sweetner if using.

3. Blend until smooth; add the gelatin and blend again.

4. Pour into silicone candy molds or a 9x9 baking dish and refrigerate for at least 45 minutes. Once they are set you can remove from the molds or cut up into squares. They will store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.